Verizon Wireless Proud to Support Public Safety Organizations Across the Country

Programs Include Sponsorship of 2008 IACP Conference, Ongoing Work on Disaster Recovery and Domestic Violence Prevention

BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and SAN DIEGO, Nov. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- For the third consecutive year, Verizon Wireless is proud to be a sponsor of the International Association of Chiefs of Police's (IACP) Annual Conference, taking place this year in San Diego from Nov. 8-12. The company's work with IACP is part of Verizon Wireless' strong commitment to support all branches of public safety, leverage technology resources, offer wireless expertise and focus on domestic violence prevention in communities.

"Verizon Wireless understands that wireless communication is essential to the work of members of the public safety community, and we have long been focused on making sure our network performs up to its reputation as the most reliable in emergency situations and every day," said Gabe Esposito, director, Corporate Security and Business Continuity at Verizon Wireless. "We look forward to continuing our partnership with the IACP and with people engaged in law enforcement, public safety and emergency response across the country."

Disaster Response and Recovery

Verizon Wireless regularly assists public safety agencies in any crisis where technical and/or wireless equipment support is needed to effectively and efficiently address the situation. The company has been called on by first responders at the sites of several natural disasters, including the recent California wildfires and in several states affected by severe hurricanes and tornadoes.

HopeLine(R) Phone Recycling Program

For more than a decade, Verizon Wireless has worked with public safety organizations to support domestic violence prevention and awareness efforts through the company's HopeLine phone recycling program. HopeLine's work with the law enforcement community has included donating BroadbandAccess Internet service to prosecutors, detectives and other personnel in local government domestic violence units; sponsoring phone collection drives in cooperation with local sheriff and police departments and national organizations; and partnering with several states' Attorneys General offices to create campaigns around elder abuse, teen dating and other domestic violence issues.

Verizon Wireless created its HopeLine Law Enforcement Partnership Award to honor members of the public safety community who are committed to reducing domestic violence, providing support to victims, raising awareness and educating people about the issue.

Public Safety Support

Verizon Wireless has sponsored more than 60 public safety conferences throughout the United States and supported public safety events and initiatives including the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, the National Law Enforcement Museum, National Police Week, the FBI National Academy Associates, COPS KIDS and the Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run.